vendredi 5 février 2016

jeudi 20 février 2014

Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards

Cryptozoic Games has several tabletop diversions in its stable, including one based on AMC's wildly popular The Walking Dead franchise as well as the popular The World Of Warcraft collectible card game. It was the ridiculously titled Epic Spell Wars of the Battle Wizards: Duel at Mt. Skullzfyre that recently caught my eye.
The game is played with two to six people, each taking on the role of a Battle Wizard, such as Fey Ticklebottom the Enchanter, or Krazztar the Blood'o'mancer. I usually try to claim Princess Holiday & her Furicorn (judging from the art, that's just short for "furious unicorn"). There aren't any special abilities applied to a particular wizard (I just like to pretend I'm a princess sometimes), and regardless of who you play there's only one objective: Eliminate all other Battle Wizards and be the Last Wizard Standing!
If you want to take out your competition, you're going to have to cast some spells, so here's the breakdown. Spells are made up of three different component types: a Source, a Quality component and the Delivery. You don't have to include one of each component to cast a spell though; you could cast a spell made up of just a Source and Delivery. You can't, however, cast spells with more than one of each component type. For instance, a spell with two Sources is illegal.
Once all players have determined the spell they're casting for the round, all players announce the number of cards in their spell to determine whose spell resolves first. Spells made up of one component will cast before a two card spell, which in turn would resolve before any three card spells. Often more than one player will cast a three card spell in a given round. If this is the case, and more than one player casts three card spells, initiative is then determined by a number on the Delivery card. The higher the initiative, the sooner you act.
Once play order for the round is determined, the Battle Wizards then reveal their card(s) and announce their spell from Source to Delivery in their best wizard's voice. For instance, "Sir Lootzor's (Source) Mysterious (Quality) Power Vortex (Delivery)". Then spell components are resolved in order (Source, Quality, Delivery), with the player following the text on each card. There are beneficial effects such as healing or gaining treasure, but most spells are all about inflicting damage. Spell components come in different flavors as well, such as Dark, Primal, etc., easily marked by a glyph in the lower left corner of the card. Matching these spell types will often make your spells stronger. In the example above, all three of the components have Arcane magic glyphs, so when resolving the text on the Power Vortex card, the player would roll three dice to determine the spells effectiveness. When all players have cast their spells, a new round of casting begins. Wild Magic cards add a bit of randomness to the mix, allowing players to play one in place of a Source, Quality or Delivery card, and then draw from the deck until they get a matching component to fill in. They come in pretty handy when you don't have a particular card type in your hand.
Once a wizard dies, they immediately lose all cards in their hand, any treasure they've gathered and start drawing Dead Wizard cards. Once a wizard is determined the Last Wizard Standing, they receive a token and a new round starts. Each Dead Wizard card then grants a boon to start the new round with. This helps even things out if you die particularly early in a round. The overall winner of the game is the first player to get two Last Wizard Standing tokens.
Epic Spell Wars is entertaining, but not terribly deep. While there is some amount of strategy in composing your spells, after a couple of matches you'll easily be able to recognize your best options from the cards in your hand. While it won't offer the complexity of some other games, the imaginative artwork and obvious humor of Epic Spell Wars still makes it a fun addition to any tabletop gamer's rotation. Pick it up at your local Slackers today!
Visit http://www.slackers.com for more great reviews!

The Saturday Brew: Mono Red Humans in Standard

As we edge nearer and nearer towards the time of the year when Standard gets a little makeover, I want to try to give Innistrad some last looks at before those cards are not Standard legal anymore.
For this deck, I took my Red Blitz idea and start throwing Humans at it. Silver-Inlaid Dagger is pretty nifty, too. I'm not sure how this deck would do in an actual tournament, but I would like to think that it would be fun to play!
Lands: 20
18x Mountain
2x Mutavault
Creatures: 28
4x Burning-Tree Emissary
4x Firefist Striker
4x Ash Zealot
4x Kessig Malcontents
4x Lightning Mauler
4x Reckless Waif
4x Stonewright
Other Spells: 12
4x Searing Spear
4x Madcap Skills
4x Silver-Inlaid Dagger
Sideboard: 15
4x Burning Earth
3x Mark of Mutany
4x Volcanic Strength
3x Pillar of Flame
1x Mountain
This deck is not a powerhouse build into a deck. But if my other Red Blitz deck can win, I don't see why not with this one.
The first thing I like is that Ash Zealot is the only card that cannot be cast off of Burning-Tree Emissary. This means that we should always have something to do with our free mana if we have a turn two Emissary. Even playing a one drop and Dagger off of Emissary would not be the end of the world. The Mutavaults and Daggers can help use up extra mana you have sitting around in the middle and late game. With only two Mutavaults, I feel like there should never really be a time when you cannot play Burning-Tree Emissary on turn two.
Stonewright might not be the best choice since you might not have much extra land free thanks to Mutavault and the dagger. I would run Legion Loyalist, but he's not a Human. Also, splashing is something I do not want to do either.
Kessig Malcontents seems at home in a build with a lot (all) humans. Doing damage equal to a player equal to the number of humans you control could allow you to have a lot of reach that did not exists before. Also, three power for three is not the worst I could imagine. I know a lot of people do not consider this creatures "playable", but when has that ever stopped my from sleeving anything up.
Burning Earth in the Sideboard makes me happy. Its an easy way to punish these multicolor decks that are everywhere. Just to make sure I can play them though, I want to add in another land too.
I feel like this could have potential to be a really fun casual deck. Before these awesome creatures rotate out of Standard, I want to this deck at a tournament.
Thank you,
Philip

PlayStation 4 Launch - Gamers Look Forward To Great PS4 Deals

Avid gamers are looking forward to the Sony PlayStation 4 which is set to be launched in November 2013. While the company already has a huge number of pre-orders to deal with, people are still looking for attractive PS4 deals so that they can buy the much awaited console at the best possible price, considering that they might have to pay a premium when compared to pre-order prices.
If you plan to buy the PS4 basic pack then you get the PlayStation 4 console, three cables (HDMI, USB charging and power), headset and the much in demand DualShock 4 wireless controller. All of this is available at around $399. Needless to say, while most retailers sell the basic game console pack at the fixed price, some of them offer them at a discount. Another factor that varies is the cost of shipping which amounts to around $10, although this changes according to the retailer. Some bundles also come with an additional DualShock 4 controller. There is talk that the price might drop just before the launch. However, certain retailers have committed to refund the difference to people who have paid the higher amount.
In case you are looking for better value for money then you could look for PS4 deals in which the console comes bundled with exclusive games. In fact, the Call of Duty: Ghosts Exclusive Prestige Edition is very much in demand and comes bundled with the console at around $450 Other popular games that are part of these deals are Killzone: Shadow Fall and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag. FIFA 14 is also a very popular option with video game enthusiasts. In addition, avid gamers who do not want to buy specific games can opt for PS4 deals that come with a variety of player cards and patches that enable them to enjoy their gaming experience in the best manner possible.
You might have to wait some time to lay your hand on the brand new Sony PlayStation 4 unless you have pre-ordered it before the cutoff date in August. However, you can still get it if you order it from the right retailer. You have to be prepared to put in a bit of effort in order to locate a retailer who can give you the best PS4 deals as well as early delivery. Of course, you will have a great deal of fun once you do get your new game console.
The Sony PlayStation 4 launch is eagerly awaited by avid gamers. Read about various PS4 deals available in the market.

Benefits of Playing Games

Gaming is increasingly becoming a part of life. Many of those who began playing games on their computer have carried their passion to adulthood. In the past, the games were misunderstood and both parents and teachers worried that these kinds of games would have negative effects on their children and students, respectively. A lot had been written about gaming, leading to addictions and violent behaviors. Today, various studies by leading researchers show that gaming offers many benefits, including:
· Support the healing process
It has been discovered to help children who have injuries or an illness. These kids often get the opportunity to be absorbed in a game, which helps to distract their minds from the pain and discomfort. In fact, many of the healthcare facilities are encouraging their patients undergoing any painful treatment to participate in playing games. Furthermore, playing games on the computer helps children diagnosed with attention deficit disorders. According to research, gaming helps these children to gain social skills. In addition, many medical departments are relying on them for physiotherapy. These types of games help with the recovery process from physical injuries to gain motor skills as well as coordination.
· Improve hand-eye co-ordination
Gaming also helps players to gain important skills that require the co-ordination of hand and eyes. Children who participate in gaming learn how to work their eyes and hands to achieve results. These skills are often transferred to their day to day activities. When they grow up they end up becoming good in professions that demand proper hand and eye co-ordination. Some of these gamers end up becoming very good surgeons, engineers and mechanics.
· Induce decision making
It encourages players to think while on the move. Quick decisions have to be made about the most appropriate action to reap maximum benefits, without asking for the opinion of others. This is particularly important for children and teenagers who end up becoming good decision makers. Furthermore, many of these games inspire gamers to strive to attain more difficult levels that present different challenges every step of the way. This helps gamers learn to become motivated and more effective in solving problems.
· Develop self-confidence
Gaming helps the players to participate in a game that offers various challenges. The more they overcome the challenges and become better players, the more confidence they gain. These desirable qualities are often transferred to real life where the player is confident to tackle any challenge.
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Video Game Accessories To Enhance Your Play Experience

Video game accessories are an essential part of the gaming experience and players tend to spend quite a bit of money on the right ones. It is not possible to play with the console alone because of the many accessories that are also required. In fact, when you buy the console it comes along with basic accessories such as a controller and a few cables. You'll need to pick up a few more accessories as well.
1. Extra controllers are a must in order to accommodate more players and have a lot more fun than usual.
2. Motion driven accessories enable full-body tracking, enabling players to exercise a great deal of control over the game. Motion sensor accessories are used for dance or sports games.
3. Headsets enable players to co-ordinate with each other in order to strategize better. They also help reduce any inconvenience or disturbance that other people might experience.
4. A silicone case helps keep your video game controller in good condition, protecting it from scratches and breakage.
5. Get a good charger for your video game console and other accessories so that you can reduce your dependence on batteries.
6. A good speaker system ensures that you can experience high quality audio. There are many options including ones that plug into TVs or DVD players. A portable Bluetooth speaker is also a very good buy.
While there are many third party video games accessories available in the market these days, it is always best to buy first party accessories even though they will certainly be more costly. First party accessories tend to be durable and reliable because they are made of high quality materials and also on account of the huge amount of research that has gone into their creation. Under no circumstance should you buy a fake product. Even so, there are quite a few third party video game accessories that are licensed and therefore a good buy. It is best to buy accessories that have multiple features. Wireless devices of various types are becoming very popular because they help reduce the clutter from having lots of wires.
Be sure to study all available options before selecting the best possible video game accessories. While some accessories can be used for multiple games, some of them can only be used for specific games. As a result, it is quite common for video gamers to build up quite a collection of these devices.
Video game accessories of all types help improve a gamer's overall experience. Buy aportable Bluetooth speaker to get excellent audio experience without the clutter of wires.